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Unit 4
Evolution
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Theory | Explanation supported by lots of evidence |
| Evolution | How living things change over time |
| Homologous structures | Structures that are similar because they were inherited from a common ancestor |
| Vestigial structures | Strutures an organism has but does not use |
| Analogous structures | Structures that are similar because of similar environmental pressures (NOT inherited from a common ancestor) |
| Comparative biochemistry | comparing the DNA or proteins from different organisms to determine how closely related they are to one another |
| Comparative anatomy | comparing the body parts of different organisms to determine how closely related they are to one another |
| Phylogeny | evolutionary tree diagram |
| Age of the earth | 4.5 billion years old |
| Fossil | Any preserved body part, excrement, or impression of an organism that lived in the distant past |